Directors of property stocks led buying for a second week, with the bulk of the purchases in small and mid-cap mainland plays. Among the buyers were executive directors of Country Garden, Kaisa and KWG Property. The sentiment in the sector was not entirely positive as there was a rare sale by a director of Liu Chong Hing Investment.

Chairman Yeung Kwok-keung, vice-chairman Yang Huiyan and vice-president Liang Guokun acquired shares of Country Garden this month with a combined 25.97 million shares purchased from June 3 to 21 at an average of HK$3.82 each.

The acquisitions were made after the stock fell as much as 18 per cent from HK$4.63 on May 13.

Yeung recorded his first trades since the stock was listed in April 2007 with an initial 11.92 million shares purchased from June 19 to 21 at an average of HK$3.83 each. The shares bought represented 0.06 per cent of the issued capital.

Yang purchased 14 million shares from June 19 to 21 at an average of HK$3.81 each, which increased her holdings to 58.03 per cent. She previously acquired 546,000 shares in May 2009 at HK$3.69 each.

Liang recorded his first trade since his appointment on May 29 with 50,000 shares purchased on June 3 at HK$4.46 each, which boosted his stake to 0.01 per cent.

The stock closed at HK$4.06 on Friday.

Chairman Kwok Ying-shing recorded his first trades in Kaisa since June 2012 with 3.86 million shares purchased from June 19 to 20 at an average of HK$1.94 each. The trades increased his holdings to 62.4 per cent.

The purchases were made on the back of the 31 per cent drop in the share price since January from HK$2.82.

Kwok previously acquired 3.58 million shares in June 2012 at an average of HK$1.41 each and 160.5 million shares from December 2010 to October 2011 at an average of HK$2.43 each.

The counter closed at HK$1.75 on Friday.

Chairman Kong Jianmin recorded his first trades in KWG since November 2011 with 661,000 shares purchased from June 25 to 26 at an average of HK$3.91 each. The trades increased his holdings to 60.51 per cent.

The acquisitions were made on the back of the 40 per cent decline in the share price since January from HK$6.50.

Kong previously acquired 29.9 million shares from September to November 2011 at an average of HK$2.87 each, 4.07 million shares from January to November 2010 at an average of HK$5.64 each and 24.9 million shares in 2008 at an average of HK$4.92 each.

The stock closed at HK$4.06 on Friday.

Deputy managing director Winston Liu Kam-fai recorded his first trade in Liu Chong Hing Investment since 2003 with 50,000 shares sold on June 24 at HK$10.49 each. The trade cut his stake to 0.86 per cent.

The sale was made on the back of the 15 per cent drop in the share price since April from HK$12.30.

The disposal was made at a huge profit based on the 55,000 shares that he acquired in March 2003 at HK$3.35 each.

The stock closed at HK$10.80 on Friday.

Robert Halili is the managing director of Asia Insider

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as Directors of small property firms go on buying spree